Medicines
- donepezil, rivastigmine or galantamine may help with memory and thinking in Alzheimer's disease, and in dementia with Lewy bodies and Parkinson's disease dementia
- memantine may be used in moderate or severe Alzheimer's, or alongside the medicines above
- vascular dementia is treated by managing the causes, such as blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol
These medicines do not stop dementia, but can help some people for a while.
Activities and therapies
NICE recommends:
- cognitive stimulation therapy, group sessions with activities and discussion
- cognitive rehabilitation or occupational therapy to help with daily tasks
- reminiscence and life story work, music and exercise
Changes in behaviour
Distress, agitation or aggression often have a cause, such as pain, infection, constipation, hunger or feeling frightened. Look for the cause first. Antipsychotic medicines are only used in some situations, because of the risks.
Care and support
- you should have a named person to coordinate your care
- your council can do a needs assessment for help at home
- family carers can get a carer's assessment
- Admiral Nurses from Dementia UK support families
- later on, some people are eligible for NHS continuing healthcare, which pays for care
Common questions
Are the new Alzheimer's drugs available on the NHS?
Newer medicines that target amyloid in the brain have been licensed in the UK, but they are not currently available on the NHS in England or Wales. They are only suitable for some people in the early stages and need frequent scans.
Sources we used
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